Hurtin' and Brusin'
by missmamamoo
Summary: Selina has recovered miraculously from her injuries caused by Jeremiah. She sets out to Gotham seeking out revenge from the people who hurt her the most. This is the story of the birth of Catwoman in the Gotham franchise. Rated M for violence and swearing. Post 4x22
1. Care For Me

I am not ok after that finale. Excuse me as I lick my wounds with this fanfic.

* * *

"Is she alright, Alfred?"

Alfred stared at the young woman lying in the hospital bed. She had several monitors attached to her, all of which showed several colors and blinking lights. The doctor had mentioned that there were complications during the transfer and Selina wasn't responding well to treatment.

"Alfred, is everything alright?" insisted the young man on the other end of the line.

Bruce wasn't a little boy anymore. He was a man. A stupid man who believed a whole city was his responsibility. He was taking on criminals while hunting down Jeremiah. He was going to get himself killed and Alfred was sick of being in intensive care units. His charge's worried voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"She's going to be angry that you didn't keep your promise, mate," he sighed.

"She hasn't woken up yet?" Alfred could hear the frown in Bruce's voice.

"The Doc is worried that she is starting to get symptoms of a complication that comes with spinal injury. Something about the level of the injury is messing with her body. Her pressure keeps skyrocketing and her heart rate is dropping. They said they are trying to keep everything under control with medication. We actually had to get transferred back to ICU about 40 minutes ago. There was a small scare, but she held on."

He heard static on the other end. Bruce meekly asked, "Is she going to be ok?"

He took another look at the young lady who was in a drug-induced slumber. "I don't know, Bruce. She isn't responding to the medication properly – "

The beeping from the monitors caught his attention. Her blood pressure climbed up to the 180s again. The butler swore and began to wave at the nurse.

"Bloody hell, Bruce, I'm going to have to let you go." The nurses ran in with the crash cart and Alfred was ushered out of the glass room. The monitors were screeching erratically.

"Is she alright?! What's going on?" Alfred felt everything slow down, just like it had when he received the call about the Waynes. He heard her room being called on the intercom. More people crawled into the ICU. A doctor was shouting orders while nurses swirled around the room in a frenzy, trying to attach Selina to other devices.

"I'll call you back once everything calms down. She's probably just having another episode. I'll call you later, alright? Just keep your phone on you," he said, quickly snapping the phone shut. She was a tough girl; a simple bullet couldn't kill her. She had already experienced 2 episodes of high blood pressure since they had gotten to the medical facility and she survived them just fine. It's just protocol. The staff is well trained.

That's when he heard it.

"We're losing her!" A doctor called out.

"She's going to stroke out if we keep it up," barked a nurse. "Her pressure is going through the roof and she's not responding to any of the medication."

Then he heard the flat line.

Alfred swore viciously as tears welled up in his eyes. He had watched her grow up. She made bad decisions out of survival, yet, she still seemed so innocent in some aspects. She was still a kid to him. She never had the chance to outgrow her rebellion and get off of the streets. His chest tightened with the realization that he would have to break the news to Bruce.

The first time Bruce smiled genuinely since his parent's death was thanks to Selina. She was irreplaceable, something Bruce had confessed to him late one night. No girl ever measured up to her. They had an understanding, he had told Alfred. They knew each other's every move, fears, and weaknesses. She hated his war on crime, but she also knew what it meant for him. Selina had told him that she just didn't want Bruce to get himself killed.

He remembered yelling at Bruce. making him choose between her or the mission.

Tears started rolling down his face because his young charge had made his decision. And Selina had no one but her friend's butler to send her off. He held on to the counter of the nurse's station watching everything unfold in the room. They tried. The hospital staff had done their best. The nurses were taking turns doing Selina's compressions. The doctor kept looking at the monitors, trying to find some signs of life. He finally shook his head.

"Alright, what's the time of death."

A lead ball fell into Alfred's stomach. It was all so surreal.

"2353, sir."

The doctor nodded, "And where is the family member, have they already been contacted?"

Every head in the room slowly turned to him, the eerie silence eating at the very fringes of his brain. The staff slowly leaked out of the room gathering their devices and machines. The doctor took him aside to speak with him, once more explaining her condition. The spinal injury put her body into overdrive. All of it was legal jargon, it was necessary to cover the medical staff's asses. Thomas once told him that he hated doing it because he knew no one could process that information during the grieving period. Dr. Thomas Wayne was right. Alfred had just numbly nodded along not really hearing anything.

"You are free to stay with the body as long as you deem necessary; just tell the nurse when you are ready to send it to the morgue. She will hand you the paperwork for transferring the body back to your city," said the young doctor, placing his hand on Alfred's shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Alfred stumbled into the room. Most of the lines were no longer attached to her. They had cleaned her up. He noticed that the gown was changed and her hair was swept back from her face. He sat down in his chair and stared at his phone, wondering what to tell Bruce.

He took a deep breath. They had done a good job cleaning her up, the sweat was gone, but so was the color from her face. Her relaxed face seemed so unnatural. He remembered that even when she slept, Selina had a scowl decorating her face.

"I'm sorry," he said staring at his phone. "I'm sorry your life ended like this and that I didn't teach Bruce to keep his promises." He felt tears constrict his throat as he tried to swallow. "You didn't deserve to have a mother like Maria. You didn't deserve to live on the streets. I'm sorry for all our misunderstandings. You were Bruce's only friend and he loved you dearly."

A sob escaped his mouth as he pressed his face into his hands, "I'm so sorry, Selina."

He sat there mourning her. He heard some shrieks and he looked outside. A cat. How peculiar. He slid open the glass door and the cat casually walked in. After a minute or so, another cat strolled right into the room.

Alfred stared at the cats as they jumped onto the bed and curled up next to Selina. More and more cats seem to walk into the hospital like they were supposed to be there. Briefly, Alfred wondered about the hospital's security; yet, he noticed they all came to mourn her, their cries echoing in the ICU. The nurses were pulling out phones trying to take pictures of the peculiar display. Security ran into the room, demanding answers from Alfred.

"Mate, I don't know what's going on either. These cats just walked in. Shouldn't you check the first floor to see how they managed to get themselves up to the fourth floor?"

The large security guard tried to approach the body and the cats hissed in unison. Alfred noticed her body could not be seen due to the amount of cats that had made theri way to her bed.

He then saw it. A hand, sticking out from the bed. Alfred rubbed the sleep out of his eye. He was in utter disbelief because he was pretty sure he saw it moving.

The security guard made a move towards the body again and Alfred raised his hands to stop him.

"Just wait for a second," he said frantically. He watched them walk around, yowling in a crescendo. He felt hypnotized by the display.

"Are you out of your mind? This is an ICU, not a pet shelter. People here need rest and these cats are a hazard to other patients," the security man yelled. He grabbed his talkie while eyeing up Alfred. "I need back up we have a code white in room 427. Bring some nets while you're at it and call animal control."

"Oh no, you don't! You let the blasted cats in, not me. Just give them a moment, they'll leave on their own," Alfred said standing between the guard and Selina. He swore her hand was moving, he knows what he saw. Maybe her love for the creatures with nine lives was being repaid. Somebody out there was watching over her.

"What makes you – "

The first cat got off the bed and made a leisure stroll between the guard's legs and out of the room. Once again they started to leave just as they came, one by one.

The tall security guard's jaw dropped. They all stared in silence as the cats made their leave. Alfred was scared to look over at Selina. At first glance, everything seemed intact. He walked towards her and gently shook her shoulders.

"Selina?" he said quietly, hoping for a reaction.

Her hand remained motionless at the side of the bed. It must have been his mind playing tricks on him. His shoulders drooped as he felt her loss settle in his heart again. Then he heard it. A sharp inhale.

His eyes shot up. He reached his hand up and placed in on her carotids. His stomach did a summersault; there was a pulse. A strong one. He saw her nose flare with each breath she took and color started blooming in her cheeks again. He blessed that scowl that reappeared on her face.

"Nurse!" Alfred yelled out. A crowd began to gather outside of the glass room. The security guard wiped sweat from his face as he noticed the do not disturb sign on the door. He looked back at the nurses rushing in to help the girl.

"She was dead?" the security guard asked with his eyes wide.

Alfred ignored the guard and grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly. "Selina, stay with us. I will allow you to beat Bruce like a piñata the next time you see him. Just stay with us."

A doctor rushed into the room, looking frazzled and confused. He grabbed his stethoscope and placed it on her chest. He frowned and placed it on her abdomen. He began to grab wires, placing the devices in their respected places. He stood there, gaping as her vital signs showed up on the screens.

"Her pressure is normal," he said in awe. "Everything sounds great."

He lifted up her sheets and inspected her feet. He grabbed a rubber hammer and tested her reflexes. "Sweet Jesus, she was gone for over 20 minutes and her reflexes are back. Is she flinching?"

Alfred saw Selina frown. "She is making faces."

"Merciful mother." He called out to the crowd of medical staff whispering outside of the room, "I need an EEG Stat. Can we also get a CT and an MRI once we settle brain activity? Can somebody call lab? I need to see how her organs doing."

Alfred was forced to step out as more machines were brought in to attached to his friend. Each person leaving puzzled after being told the story of the mysterious girl with the worshipping cats.

After hours and several ignored calls from Bruce later. Selina, to the shock of the entire medical facility, was fine. She was better than fine, everything was working perfectly. Her spinal injury was gone according to both the MRI and the CT. The only remaining issue was that she was unconcious, but according to the EEG, her brain was alive and kicking.

Alfred did his best to stay alert, waiting for her to wake up. He ocassionally spoke to her, something the nurses had encouraged him to do. They explained she could probably hear everything. There was a chance she could remember what he told her and, also, stimulation was what she needed in order to wake up. As soon as the sun rose, his eyes began to get heavy. He felt himself slip away only to be awoken by someone poking his face.

"Hey, is that why Bruce's security sucks?" the voice croaked. "The guy on duty is usually asleep?"

Alfred's eyes flew open. There sat Selina, her wild mane being highlighted by the evening sun.

He watched her as she looked around the room, blushing. "Did Bruce get us some VIP room? I mean, look at all these machines; don't you think it's a bit excessive? I can barely sleep because they make weird noises when I bend my arm." She went on to demonstrate the machines temper tantrum by bending her arm. Alfred sat in awe of her babbling.

"Also," she winced, not noticing his reaction. "I've been terrified of the nurses so I keep playing possum when they come in. Could you go get me ice? I feel like an elephant sat on my chest. I remember getting shot not beaten. What happened?" she said as she toyed with the wires attached to her body.

Alfred just sat there absorbing her presences. He reached out and touched her arm. Out of surprise, they both jerked away.

"Are you ok?" she asked miffed.

"Selina," he started. "You died. You're sore from chest compression when your heart stopped."

"What?" she said in disbelief.

"You died. Your heart stopped. You were declared dead."

Her eyes lost focused. "That wasn't a dream?" she murmured.

"No. You died. I was there. I mourned you. Then the cats came…" as the words left Alfred's mouth, he was positive she wouldn't believe him. It sounded ridiculous even to him.

Selina's eyes widened. She swallowed and nodded. "My injuries are gone, right?"

Alfred frowned. "Yes… has this happened before?"

"Don't freak out," she said looking around the hospital room.

"I doubt I will, Miss Kyle, I think if I could handle the cats worshiping you in the middle of this ICU, I can handle whatever you are about to tell me."

"You remember Five?" she said in a hushed tone.

He frowned. "The clone?"

"Yes," Selina looked down and picked at her sheets. "He threw me off of a four-story window. I had this dream that I was surrounded by cats. They told me they chose me. Next thing I knew I woke up in a hospital bed with Ivy at the bedside. I thought it was just a weird dream."

"You must have died then. When you told me he pushed you out of a window I thought you were lying."

"No, that freak actually killed me," Selina said waving her hands around frantically. "Did I really just die and cats came or are you just making this up. It doesn't feel like I died."

"No, I assure you, it's very real. They came and covered you with their bodies," he said incredulously. "It was nothing like I've ever seen before."

Selina gave him a relieved grin. "It freaked you guys out, huh?"

"Not as much as you dying did," he scoffed. He reached out to hold her hand. "Thank you for coming back."

Selina smiled softly and flicked at his hand. "Well, at least I know someone will mourn me if I died. Here I thought I was just gutter trash to you."

He saw her smile falter as she inspected the room once more.

"You've been awake for a while?" Alfred asked checking his phone. He forgot to call Bruce back. Over a hundred missed calls. Bruce was going to kill him. That or Bruce was already dead. He felt numb from the rollercoaster of emotions he had experienced over the past 72 hours.

"I've been awake long enough," she said with a sad smile.

Alfred got up and sat on the side of Selina's bed, knowing what was coming.

"He didn't keep his promise did he?" she said in a small voice. She is still just a kid, he told himself. They are still just kids.

He sighed wearily, raking his hands through his hair. "No. He didn't. He sent me to accompany you so he knew how you were doing."

From his peripherals, he saw her nodding slowly taking in the information. "What happened to Gotham?"

"Jeremiah blew up bridges in order to cut off Gotham from the rest of the world. It's absolute chaos. Criminals are trying to carve up the city for territory as we speak."

Selina nodded slowly. "He stayed back to help."

"Yes," he paused. "You know him."

He saw the tears well up in her eyes. "I'll take you up on your offer."

"Excuse me," Alfred said frowning.

"If he survives, I get to beat him like a piñata for leaving me, and you can't stop me."

Alfred sat there, shocked that she had heard him. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch.

"I stand by my offer. You did come back."

"The minute I'm out of this hospital I will pop a cap in Jeremiah," she continued, rage flushing her face. "That's a promise. Alfred, we are in this mess because of him. I get trying to do the right thing, but that self-righteousness is only going to get more people killed. This is war. Bruce better end things quickly before I get to Gotham and do it myself."

Alfred finally gave in, giving her a tired smile and ruffling her hair. "I will be sure to relay the message, Miss Kyle."

He stood up and waved the nurse down. "We should probably get you checked since you're finally awake. I'll give Master B a call and let him know how you are doing. Is there anything you need, Miss Kyle?"

Her stomach growled. "Food would be nice."

"I'll talk to your doctor to make sure you can eat."

* * *

To Alfred's shock, Bruce wasn't dead and he was thrilled to hear that Selina was not only doing better but her spinal injury was fully healed. Bruce was flabbergasted at Alfred's story about the cats. Alfred teased him, telling him to feed strays as a backup plan in case he died.

"Alfred, I need you to stay with her until Gotham is reopened to the world. She is in no condition to come back. Jeremiah is still out there and will stop at nothing to hurt me. I don't want her in the line of fire," Bruce said fiercely.

Alfred walked back to the room nodding along to Bruce's orders. He peered into the room and dropped the food he had bought for Selina on the bedside table.

"Well, Master B, as you know, you can't really tell Selina what to do."

"Well, it's not like she can come back to Gotham, the city has been shut down," Bruce huffed.

"If there's a will, then there's a way. It seems I will be heading back to Gotham tonight."

"Alfred, I just told you –"

"She's gone mate," he snorted, as he opened the closet finding her clothes missing. The lines were tossed about the room. "Selina sent me to go grab food and took a head start. Now, I'm going to warn you, she did mention beating you like a piñata for not keeping your promise, so you better start praying that I get to you first before she does."

He sighed, remembering her final statement. "She may have mentioned finding Jeremiah but at this rate, she has a higher chance of survival than you. So good luck."

He heard Bruce groan in frustration. "She's gonna kill me."

Alfred laughed for the first time in weeks. "Hell hath no fury, Master B."

* * *

 **So I know my endings suck (I'm a work in progress guys) and for the** **record, this is** **un-beta'd. I just couldn't deal with the whole paralysis thing, so I killed her off to heal her because fuck the Gotham writers. My girl is Catwoman _(not_ _Oracle)_ and she is flying back to Gotham to kick Bruce Wayne's ass. The End. **

**Also, the complication she had with her injury was Autonomic Dysreflexia. I know she didn't get shot anywhere near the T6 but honestly, it's Gotham so who cares lmao.**


	2. Blatant Disrespect

The air was thick with humidity and the smell of rotting fish. Selina had lifted some cash from several people on her way back to Gotham. Two buses and a strange man later, she found herself tossing cargo into a small fishing boat. The young man helping her explained how the city was cut off from power, food, and water. The older man overlooking the cargo grinned as he heard the youth talk about the chaos within the city.

"She's ripe for the picking," the old man croaked. "Gotham is finally free of its reigns; everyone is carving their territory as we speak. The military still hasn't set a perimeter so it will probably take another day or so for marshal law to go into full effect. The feds take forever to make decisions which give us career criminals an opportunity," he winked. "I had been a transporter for Maroni back in the day, something you kiddies know nothin' about, but after he was taken down by another crime lord; business has been slow. I just picked up this job from some no names that needed supplies. It's a quick an easy job. We should be back before morning."

Selina chose to stay silent as she continued to load the fishing boat.

"Hey, you there," the stocky old man called out to her. "I might need some help with unloading, you don't mind going into Gotham, right, girlie?"

She shrugged and pursed her lips as if in thought. "I got nothin' else to do."

Her head began contemplating her current circumstance. The cargo was most likely weaponry, judging by the weight of the boxes. She watched his wolfish smile widen as he looked her up and down. He was stupid and an easy mark. The old man was probably going to get killed the minute he turned in the supplies. She could see more profit in his boat than the weapons he was transporting. If Gotham was truly losing all sense of morality, it wouldn't be far-fetched to kill the man for both the weapons and the boat. You certainly wouldn't have to pay anyone for supplies if the dealer was dead. You wouldn't have to pay for transport either if you had your own boat.

The young man, whose name she believed was Brian, stuck his head out from the trunk cabin, interrupting her thoughts. "All is set, boss."

"Perfect."

The older man whistled as he made his way to the standing shelter. "We'll be there in about 45 minutes, kiddos. After I get my money, I'll pay you guys off and we'll make way back to safety."

Selina stopped herself from snorting. That wasn't going to happen. He had a pistol and she was sure he was going to kill them. Why else would you take kids from an alleyway? They wouldn't be missed if they were shot dead, the geezer probably figured they were homeless. It's easier to kill them in Gotham anyway, they would simply be casualties of city's cruelty.

Selina knew that she had to find a way to escape before they hit the ports. She skimmed the shoreline from her perch, taking in possible entrances into the city by swimming. The freezing wind bit into her skin, reminding her of the equally frigid water temperatures of the bay. She was royally fucked.

"She's beautiful ain't she?" the old man crooned.

"More like creepy," she muttered. "You can't even see the city."

"I don't like it either. It's too quiet. Are you sure they aren't going to try and kill us?" Brian said peering at the shoreline.

"Nah, these no-names most likely need supplies. Who else is gonna transport for them?" he huffed.

She could hear the doubt in his voice. She shook her head at his rookie mistake, That's why you don't do any jobs for no names, she thought. You don't know what to expect.

She looked into the frigid waters as chunks of ice were pushed aside, bouncing off the spray rail. Jumping in would guarantee death due to hypothermia. She wasn't ready to die again, not when she had just come back to life a week ago. Her next option would be to slip away unnoticed. She watched the old man walk up to the side of the boat, waving a flashlight. In the distance, she saw someone wave back. Her nerves sent crackles of electricity up and down her spine. This was a lot more dangerous than she anticipated. She shouldn't be risking her life in order to kill Jeremiah. Yet, her soul craved for his blood. He killed her without any mercy. As if she were just some insignificant piece in a game.

She felt her face flush with rage at the thought of being some stepping stool to get to Bruce Wayne. Selina was sick of being treated like some weak damsel used to manipulate the eccentric billionaire. Her mother own mother disregarded her as a person, using Selina as means to get to Bruce. She was going to prove once and for all that she was not someone to be trifled with. No freak was going to shoot her and think he could get away with it unscathed.

"You aren't working with those clowns are you?" she drawled, eyes never leaving the shoreline.

"Oh, the clown gang that worshiped that wack job who escaped Arkham?" said the geezer as he scratched his chin. "Hell no. These are some weapon dealers."

She stretched languidly as they drew closer to the ports. If his contacts were the Sirens, he wasn't going to be leaving Gotham alive. Barbara was a cheapskate and didn't like to pay for anything.

She felt the boat dock and a lead ball dropped into her stomach. Something was up.

She turned to find a gun to her head.

"Are you lost?" smirked a woman. Selina looked down to see blood covering the deck of the small watercraft. She had no idea how they managed to sneak up on her. She didn't hear a sound, not even the thump of a body.

"Answer me," the lady hissed.

"Let her go," said Brian from the starboard. "She's just some homeless whore. Let the city take her apart."

Selina swallowed and made sure to increase her eyes slightly just like Barbara had taught her. She quickly questioned if she should cry or would that be overkill.

"We're setting you free Catherine. Go ahead," Brian smiled sweetly.

Selina forced herself to continue looking scared. Inwardly, she groaned because she knew this game. She watched Barbara play it all the time. Let them walk with the hope of a new tomorrow but shoot them when they're halfway out the door. Mock them for their stupidity until they finally die due to blood loss.

She sized up her opponents. There were three people on the boat. Two of which were in her eyesight while the other was somewhere in the trunk cabin digging through the cargo. She looked at the barrel of the gun and carefully planned her next move. She took a step back making sure to up play the fear on her face. Selina reached out behind her, searching for any kind of weapon. She felt something flat and made of metal. It clunked when her back hit the rail. She made sure to jump like a spooked cat.

"Are you sure?" Selina whimpered, maybe that was pushing it.

Clearly, the woman was unfazed by "Catherine's" overacting, she was too busy enjoying the sense of power that came from threatening others. She slowly put the gun in her holster. "Go ahead, Cathy," she grinned not noticing the opening she just gave Selina. "See how far you go."

Selina unhooked the crowbar from the railing and struck the woman across her head. She saw the woman's eyes roll back and caught her before she fell. Brian yelled and began to unload his gun on her. Selina had no other option but to use the lady as a shield. She reached for the woman's holstered handgun. Once she had a firm grip on the pistol, she dropped the woman and fired two quick shots at the men attempting to kill her. They were down instantly. She silently blessed Tabitha for forcing her to take up marksmanship.

She hugged the boat's surface as she went to peek overboard. She let out a sigh of relief. The morons came alone.

She scavenged around for any money or weaponry, taking what she could carry. Selina climbed onto the wharf, scampering off into the maze of giant metal containers. In the distance, she heard the familiar sound of a bone snapping followed by a shriek. The port was known for being a place of execution, there was no surprise that it was still being used as such.

She made her way quickly throughout the never-ending maze, feeling the snow crush beneath her boots. The gulps of freezing air burned her trachea, making her eyes water. There. She saw a clearing up ahead. Selina slowed her pace, creeping slowly to the mouth of the clearing. She came to a full stop assessing her exit. There were no signs of life but she finally saw the shadows of the port wall. She was almost there.

Selina froze at the sound of snow crunching behind her. A hooded figure stood a couple of feet away, his breath frosting in the cold night air. She took two steps back and ran, weaving her way through the next maze. She attempted to follow the walls of the port, desperately looking for an exit.

Nearby, she saw a container next to the port wall. She pumped her legs furiously, wincing at the exertion on her still tender legs.

After the hospital miracle, she realized some days into the journey that her legs would randomly cramp up. They would feel tender and even fuzzy at times. It was the only side effect after Jeremiah shot her. It was something that definitely concerned her because she was scared her legs would give. Most of her mobility was fine, but her legs would buckle if she did something other than walk or run. Climbing and long periods of exertion was not something she had tested out yet.

She jumped on to the lock of the metal container, her wet boot making her lose her footing. She slipped, feeling gravity pull her back to the ground. A strong hand forcefully turned her on her back in mid-air. The hooded figure pinned her to the shipping container. He froze.

She used that opportunity to kick him in the solar plexus, sending him flying. She climbed up the container and onto the port wall.

"Freak!" she yelled as she jumped off and into the street.

* * *

It had been days until she heard news of Jeremiah. He was apparently setting up traps for Bruce. Some bogus plan about making Bruce crazy. Again. Because the first two attempts clearly worked.

Selina made her way along the rooftops, panting from the exertion. She had cased the nut job's hideout after an intense conversation with a runner. It took some creative convincing in order to pry the information from the guy. It was worth it; the information was solid and he hadn't squealed to Jeremiah yet.

The Clown Prince ran a tight security system. Somehow it was fully functioning despite the city lacking power. He had sensors lined at every point of entrance. She noticed the sensor would give off a light if there was some activity within a given radius. She had tested out her theory with several cats, having them walk around the perimeter of the building. The sensors were at every attainable entrance. She couldn't get into the building through the doors or windows. The rooftop, on the other hand, was heavily guarded by snipers. They were blind because they never spotted her when she was herding cats but it's easier to get out of their line of vision if they're separated by twenty stories. Climbing on to the roof was not a risk she was willing to take.

She took note of the guards and their rounds. Memorizing their paths through the building, using some stolen blueprints as a guide.

According to the blueprints she jacked from what was left in the vaults in city hall, there was a subterranean entrance under the building. With some more ammo, a bomb and a wetsuit she might actually have a chance of getting her revenge.

She finally got to her destination.

Wayne Manor seemed untouched by the chaos. The only sign of abandonment was the tall grass that covered the grounds. Selina silently praying that there were no looters in the house. She scaled the wall of the old manor, climbing onto Bruce's balcony. She knew the butler kept weaponry somewhere in his room and after speaking with Bruce about his extravagant trips, she knew he had some weird waterproof wetsuit that might fit her.

The French window creaked as she crept into the room. Bruce's bedroom was immaculate, clearly, no one had bothered trying to loot the place. Selina went to work, tearing apart his closet while frantically searching for a wetsuit. While going through some drawers, she found his swimming gear. Bingo. The smooth black suit was neatly folded among the mess of swimming trunks. She remembered him saying it was completely waterproof, and that's why it was so expensive. She didn't understand why anyone would go swimming if they didn't want to get wet. He rolled his eyes, informing her the marvel had more to do with the technology behind it, not its practicality.

The suit was a bit too big on her. But she was sure the sewers were no more than waist deep. The waterproof wetsuit would be functional enough to protect the weaponry she would have on her person. She quietly made her way to the butler's quarters, making sure to not trip the manor's alarm system. She dug through Alfred's closet finding nothing. She emptied his drawers looking for a handgun, anything really, but still to no avail. Selina noticed that the bottom of the bed was solid. She ran her fingers across the smooth surface until she felt a small metal bump. It had a lock on it. Her eyes twinkled as she fished picks from her leather jacket. After a couple of seconds, the trunk was unlocked. She opened the flap and pulled out a drawer filled with all the good stuff. She plucked a grenade from its sponge bed, a grin broke out on her face.

"Purrfect."

After gathering more supplies from Alfred's treasure trove, she headed back to Bruce's bedroom freezing when she saw what was on his coffee table. She was in such a rush; she hadn't seen her whip neatly rolled in front of her. Without a second thought, she grabbed it, hooking it on her belt.

She went through Bruce's drawers finding an old hair tie that probably belonged to one of his _friends_. She tied her hair up and double checked her weaponry. She was ready, and Jeremiah had hell to pay.

The sewer stank. It was a wretched smell that had elicited her gag reflex twice; she was also pretty sure she had stumbled upon a dead body but was doing her best to keep it together.

She trudged forward in the slime, careful in order to not splash the map in her hands. Selina went left, following the tunnel until she finally saw her exit. She climbed on to the landing, scaring away some rats with her sloshing. Selina walked around until she finally saw the hallway that was described in the notes she found in city hall. She unzipped the wetsuit, rolling it up and tucking it into a corner. She neatly folded the maps, stuffing them into her pocket.

Selina looked up to the flood drain above her. She climbed on to the wall, using the pipes as a ladder. She was extra careful feeling them out before grabbing them for fear of burning or electrocuting herself. She finally reached the ceiling, attempting to wiggle the flood drain with one hand. She let out a huff of frustration, sticking her right foot between two pipes in the wall. She awkwardly bent her foot, locking herself between both pipes. With her left foot, she pushed herself upward towards the flood drain. Selina gripped its bars with both hands, experimentally wiggling it. The metal barrier loosened under her grip and was quickly shoved aside. She climbed out of her hole, noticing the lack of security. She grinned triumphantly, pulling out her watch and notes.

Bald Guy was probably doing his rounds on floor five through ten. Hair Gel was probably walking down the second-floor corridor; he would reach the third floor in about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, the Steroid Chewing Monkeys Two, Four, and Five were probably playing hooky on the fifteenth floor. Steroid Chewing Monkey One should be on break, while Three guarded Jeremiah's office. She was informed his office was on the top floor. After reviewing the building's blueprints, she had come to the conclusion that the best way to get there was the forgotten dumbwaiter that led to the meeting room next to it. She would be a whole room off but she had about 45 minutes until Handlebar Mustache would round the top floor. She was in luck because Three had the nasty habit of sleeping on the job.

After thirty-five sweaty minutes in the dumbwaiter, Selina emerged from it covered in dust and cobwebs. She crept across the old wooden floors, dusting off any critters that decided to take the Cat Express up the dumbwaiter.

She slowly opened the room's door, peeking to see if the guard was asleep. The man wasn't even present. There was a book was in his chair, so she assumed he went on a bathroom break. She quickly ran into Jeremiah's office, quietly closing the door behind her.

The man himself stood facing a window, his back to her. She unclipped the gun from her holster, checking the safety. She aimed for his head. The floor beneath her creaked.

"Hello, Bruce," he rasped. "I've been expecting you."

Selina grinned. "Well, this is going to be anticlimactic."

Jeremiah whipped around, snarl already forming.

Selina pulled the trigger.

The bullet entered through his forehead, its exit splattering blood on the window behind him. She ran to him, forcing his mouth open and stuffing an active grenade in his throat. She had 5 seconds. She ran through the window, feeling her ears pop at the explosion behind her. The sonic blast propelling her even further across the air. Glass rained on the city street as she dived straight into the next building. She crashed through a window, not stopping but continuing to run to the other side. She climbed out onto the fire escape, being hit with the realization of just how far the buildings were from each other. She couldn't just run off into the street, there was no one else around. That would just make her an easy mark for the snipers. Quickly, she latched her whip onto the rail of the fire escape, praying to any god to keep her alive. Using momentum, she swung from one building to the next. She landed on the rooftop, shocked that her quick thinking worked. Her grin widened and she ran straight off the roof, bullets chasing at her heels from a building over. Gripping her whip tightly, she managed to latch it onto a flagpole. She straightened her legs together, using her core to lift herself up in the air again. A squeal of delight, left her mouth as she flew forward and landed on the next building. She continued swinging around Gotham until she reached Siren territory.

* * *

Selina pushed open the double doors of the old estate and was met by women she couldn't recognize.

"You aren't allowed here," an older woman yelled, blade trained on Selina's throat.

"Tell, Tabitha. Selina is back," she hissed. "I'm Barbara and Tabitha's partner."

The woman looks miffed, "Tabitha said Selina was out of commission."

Selina rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well I'm back."

The woman nodded, motioning at a younger girl to relay the message.

They stood their glaring at each other until Tabitha burst through the hallway.

"Selina!" she breathed tackling Cat in a hug. "Bruce said he had you transported out of the city! I hadn't heard from him in a while, I was going to pay him a visit today."

Tabitha frowned holding her back. "You can walk? It's only been 3 weeks! You should be resting."

Everyone in the room froze as the Queen herself leisurely strolled down the hallway.

"I was pretty sure Bruce said the damage was permanent," Barbara said, swiftly tying her silk robe in place.

Selina scratched the back of her head. "Gotham doctors are shit?"

Barbara shrugged. "Can't argue there."

"When did you get back?" Tabitha asked pulling her toward their bedroom.

Selina winced, knowing what was coming. "About two weeks ago."

"Two weeks?! What the hell, Selina?! I've been worried sick since you left. Barbara and I were about to go beat his ass for information because we lost contact with him."

"Tabby," Barbara murmured. "I'm sure whatever explanation Selina has in store for us will be worthwhile. You better have not gone vacationing with that billionaire while we've been busting our asses reclaiming Gotham." The blonde woman said with a tight smile.

Selina pressed her lips together. She processed that Bruce had gone missing. She didn't know how to feel about that. Not yet. She did know how she felt about Bab's accusation.

"I noticed," Selina sneered, pointing to windows. "Love what you've done with the place. The dead bodies give the whole territory a delicate woman's touch."

Tabitha's eyes narrowed. "You're avoiding the question."

Selina rolled her eyes and sighed. "I decided to hunt down Jeremiah."

"And how did that go, Kitty Cat," Barbara smirked, serving herself some liquor.

Selina scowled. Babs never did trust her. "Pretty well, actually," she huffed, removing her weaponry and placing it on the coffee table.

Tabitha signaled to the guards perched by the doorway. "Where is he? Maybe we can ambush him and end this."

Barbara opened her mouth to speak but Selina interrupted her.

"I shot him. In the head."

Barbara's eyebrows flew to her hairline, spitting out her drink. "Did you check for a pulse," she managed to choke out.

The corners of Selina's mouth twitched. "I stuck a grenade in his mouth for good measure. Can't come back from the dead if your head's blown off. No amount of Zombie water can fix that," she said winking at Barbara.

Tabitha stared at her in horror while Barbara seemed pleased with her answer.

"I didn't think you had it in you, kitten," Barbara smirked, pouring herself another drink.

"Neither did I," Selina said, finally feeling the weight of her actions sink into her chest. "Neither did I," she murmured, staring at her filthy bloodstained hands.

* * *

 **LMAO, I'm sorry I'm not sorry for killing Jeremiah. It was too damn satisfying. Cameron is an incredible actor and has me hating this character hard. God bless him lol.** **Again this is un-beta'd and done in like two days. So constructive criticism is absolutely welcomed! There may be a third part to this series because Selina has unfinished business with one more person.**


	3. Talk to Me Crazy

**Whoops, my hand slipped. I'm trying to stay true to the Gotham writers meanwhile satisfying my need for baby batcat. If nobody has noticed, I've been listening to Cardi B:**

 **It's blatant disrespect, your nothing like the fella I met,**

 **Talk to me crazy and you quick to forget**

 **And now you got me trippin'**

 **You got me looking in the mirror different.**

 **Thinkin' I'm flawed because you inconsistent.**

* * *

It had been months since martial law was lifted in Gotham. The city was in ruins. The rich threw money at all the abandoned housing in the inner city to build more soaring skyscrapers. There were murmurs of how Jeremiah's curse was a blessing in the elegant events thrown for "charitable" reasons. When she heard similar words come out Barbara's mouth, she realized she didn't like working with others.

Plus, she had taken up another method to make ends meet.

Selina handed her invitation to the bouncer, the young man barely glanced at it, clearly lost in the dipping neckline of her dress.

"Miss Dubrovna?" The young man said, frowning at her invitation.

Selina placed her elbow on the podium, tilting her head slightly. "Yes," she breathed, glancing at his nametag.

The young man swallowed and let his eyes slowly wander back to her neckline. He blushed and murmured, "Have a good night."

"Thank you, Mr. Elton," she winked, watching the flush from his cheeks spread to his ears.

She walked following the crowd, stopping every so often to stroke an ego. Men fawned at her youthful beauty while she pretended to laugh at whatever ridiculous joke they had in store for her. Women would occasionally give her shallow compliments and she would return them with a sweet smile. The evening went on as she mingled with the elites, sipping on champagne that could pay her rent.

She felt a pair of eyes burning the back of her head. Dammit. She knew coming tonight meant bumping into him. Tabitha thought she was a moron for avoiding him. Barbara insisted she didn't owe him anything. It had been four months since she had gotten shot. She had been so busy with dealing with the weird ninja guy and with the feds she had forgotten all about him. Or at least that's what she kept telling herself. She had seen neither Alfred nor Bruce since the incident.

"Irena, are you alright?" asked the young man next to her.

Selina panicked; she hadn't realized she was frowning. She let the expression melt into a flirty grin.

"Sorry, Tommy, my mind wandered. What were you saying?"

The young man smiled at her pulling her close. "You look exquisite in that dress," he murmured. She could smell the liquor in his hot breath caressing her ear. "You know where it would look better?"

Selina couldn't suppress the eye roll. Tommy was a disgusting piece of work. She checked his pupils as he inched closer, taking note that he was definitely on some special substances.

She smiled sweetly, linking their arms together. "Let's go somewhere more private shall we?"

Tommy kissed her neck. "Anything for you Ms. Dubrovna."

Selina fought the shiver he sent down her back and did her best not to recoil in disgust. He was repulsive at best, but useful due to his nasty habits. If she could get him to "lead her" into an off-limits area of the museum, she was good as gold. He would remember nothing because he would always blackout after mixing liquor and drugs. He was the perfect tool, in more way than one.

He pulled her through the crowd paying off a security guard to get her to a restricted area. Once out of earshot, he shoved his hand down her dress gripping her breast painfully. She grasped his thumb, forcing the removal of his hand from her dress and shoving him against the wall. She watched his eyes roll back from the head injury. She let him drop to the floor and took a minute to checked his respirations. Even and unlabored. The piece of shit would live for another day.

Selina fixed her dress as she walked around the museum in a slow stroll, admiring every item in the Royal treasures exhibit. She stopped in front of the Fife Tiara and sighed. Her purse was too small to for it. She wouldn't be able to sneak it out of the charity event successfully.

She reached her hand out, grazing the case with her silk gloved hand. "Soon, my lovely."

She continued walking and stopped in front of the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace. The diamonds were beautifully cut, reflecting the light from its casing nicely; Tabitha was going to love it. Selina gave a quick security sweep to the area and was thrilled to see no sign of life. She pulled out the glass cutter from her purse, exchanging her silk gloves for customized protective ones; courtesy of Tabitha. She got on her knees and opened a small compartment near the exhibit. She pulled out a small little charge rider. She elevated the voltage of the battery, killing the alarm set on the necklace. She gripped at the glass expertly, feeling the glove create a suction. She cut the glass into a clean circle, slowly removing the piece. She silently prayed that the glass wouldn't shatter like it had when she practiced yesterday. Once both hands had a better grip of the circle, she slowly placed the glass on the floor, careful to not make a single noise. She reached into the case to nab the pretty necklace and she felt a low voice whisper into her ear, "May I see your invitation?"

She jerked in surprise, nearly cutting her arm on the glass.

"Jesus, Bruce," she hissed at him, shoving him aside. "I came as a plus one."

Bruce snorted. "You must have shown Tommy quite a time, considering I found him snoring three exhibits over."

"You know me," she said, reaching into the case and snatching the necklace. "I know how to show a guy a good time."

"Are you serious right now?" he said in disbelief.

"I've never heard you complain about our fun times," she smiled, stuffing the necklace into her purse.

"Not that; are you really stealing the Queen's necklace?" he asked slightly miffed.

"She's not my Queen," said Selina, surveying the area to make sure she wasn't leaving evidence behind. "Besides, you don't sound too mad about it, and I can't figure out if I should be worried or amused," she smiled, linking arms with him.

He shoved her off, and the spell shattered.

Selina met his gaze, crossing her arms. "I'm a thief, this isn't new to you. I mean, at least this time around I'm not robbing a dead guy. So, what's the problem?"

"You've always been shameless, but this is a new low even for you."

Selina's chest tightened at his words. That hurt. A lot.

She sighed, making her way back to the party. "Why did you follow me."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why did you come to my party? This is a Wayne charity function to raise funds for Gotham's reconstruction. You could have sacked the place any other day."

Selina rolled her eyes, dusting off any remaining glass from her black dress. "I didn't know it was your party; I'm a plus one, remember? Charity my ass. You and your rich friends are buying inner-city houses for stupid cheap; inflating the price after some remodeling, leaving the people coming back to Gotham homeless. You guys are so thoughtful," she hissed. "Anyway, it's easier to do it during parties, so screw off."

"Why are you here?"

Selina was stunned at his word. She turned to see his serious expression and gawked. She smiled and waved the purse around. "Why else would I be here?"

He pulled his arms behind him, walking forward to meet her. "You really think that's the way we should start this conversation?"

"You really want to have this conversation right now?" Selina gaped.

"It's not like you're ever going back to the manor. We might as well get this over with," he snapped back at her.

She turned away from the main corridor and into another exhibit.

"Selina," said Bruce, trailing after her.

Her dress swirled as marched towards him, backing Bruce into a wall. "You think you have a say in when we have this conversation?" she asked in a low voice.

"I was worried out of my mind and you never stopped by to at least say 'hello,'" Bruce intoned, his eyebrows furrowing. "Gotham wasn't the safest when you got back into the city."

It was Selina's turn to frown. "How would you know when I came back to town?"

"Wild guess," he offered. "Alfred told me when you ran away."

She pursed her lips. "I was mad at you."

His affect remained flat. "You knew I felt responsible for the situation."

Selina glanced sideways checking her peripherals for any nosey partygoers. "You felt responsible for Jerome; you never expressed concern for Jeremiah."

"It was a trick from Jerome that cost Jeremiah his sanity."

Selina felt her jaw drop.

"Incredible," she whispered, reducing the space between them to inches. "You feel responsible for everyone except the girl you made a promise to."

His eyes widened and Selina could see every hue of blue in his dark eyes.

"I'm sorry," he intoned, the baritone of his voice reverbing in her chest. He watched Selina shake her head, curls bobbing from the action.

She smiled, but her eyes were glistening. "You don't get to do that," she murmured. "You needed me and I was there for you. I needed you but Gotham was more important. You don't care about me, Bruce."

She raised her hand and brushed his hair back, studying his face. "You don't get to give me a half-assed apology and tell me you 'care' when in reality you don't give a shit," she spat.

Bruce flinched at her words.

Selina slowly got up from their position watching him squirm under her gaze.

Then she heard it. Echoes of footsteps bounced off the main corridor, rooting Selina to her spot. Bruce made eye contact with her and in a panic, she closed the distance between them. She felt him freeze beneath her. As the steps got closer, Selina raked her nails down his abdomen and Bruce came to life. He wrapped his arms around her, deepening the kiss. His lips were soft, warm, and welcoming. She clenched his blazer's waist as he pried her mouth open. Right when the lightheadedness kicked in, she felt his grip tighten on her purse.

That. Bastard.

Selina yanked her purse behind her, flipping them over. He was now on top of her and she was currently painfully pressing his hand into the wall. He yelped as she applied more pressure. She gripped his tie expertly and pulled him back down to meet her, sealing any more noises from his mouth. She felt him remove his hand from her purse and into her hair. That when she heard someone clear their throat. Selina let him go with a filthy pop and watched him try and compose himself.

His hair was a mess; she wasn't really sure how that happened. He was clearly out of breath, his lips were swollen and the same pretty shade of pink as her own.

She grinned as he closed his eyes, trying to find the will to turn around.

"Yeah?" he asked. She recognized the tone. She hadn't heard it since they bumped into each other at the Sirens.

"Uh, you aren't allowed back here," said a gruff voice

Bruce grinned as he turned to the guard. "I'm not? You sure?"

"Mr. Wayne, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The security guard said sternly.

"I mean, I'm clearly busy right now, can you come back in 20 minutes? I'll pay you," he smiled lazily at the guard while peppering her neck with kisses. Selina was actually impressed. He could have fooled her with his drunk act. Not that her judgment was impaired at the moment. She certainly wasn't blissfully throwing her head back because she enjoyed his breath against her skin.

The man grunted, averting his eyes. "Sir, you are going to have to leave, the party is almost over. I suggest you continue this fraternization at your own home."

"You heard the man," Bruce winked at her, capturing her mouth for one last kiss. "You're coming home with me."

He peeled her off the wall and dragged her to the main party. She gathered her thoughts and peeked into her purse, sighing in relief that Bruce hadn't managed to take her prize. Selina felt a pair of arms snake at her waist. She stomped on the offending man's foot.

"Ow," Bruce sputtered.

"Don't get chummy with me," she said, withdrawing herself from his embrace. "You tried taking the necklace back."

"Selina," he murmured, catching her free hand tugging her back to him. "That was too good of a kiss for you to play hard to get; even if you hate me."

She was confused by his playful tone until she felt him reach for her purse again. He was lucky they were in a crowded function, all she could do was wiggle about and hold his arms down "playfully."

"I don't hate you, you idiot," she whispered fiercely, attempting to make her way to the exit. "I'm tired. I'm tired of putting myself out there for you. I'm tired of constantly risking my ass for yours and the only thing I get is judgment for everything I do."

"Judgement?" he huffed, following her into the foyer. "I know you killed Jeremiah," he said in a low voice. "I was in denial for a while but that's quite the revenge."

She stopped in her tracks and faced him, his body crashing into hers. "You pity him, don't you? You pity that he died crazy thanks to his brother – excuse me, thanks to you."

She watched his eyes narrow. "That's not what – "

"I was shot at _your house_. I nearly died _in front of you_ ," she snarled. "But you got somethin' to say because I was pissed enough to go kill the guy who killed me. The guy who threw all of Gotham into chaos. How many more people had to die for you to realize he was a lost cause? He blew up buildings and bridges, killing thousands of people. Gotham's citizens were starving and being annihilated on the streets for no fucking reason."

She took in a deep breath, checking to see if anyone saw her outburst. It was almost one in the morning, everyone was too drunk to function. It helped that she hadn't yelled but someone was bound to overhear their argument.

"If I disgust you so much; why did you follow me?" she asked in a hushed tone.

She watched him avoid her gaze. "I'm not disgusted and," he said pointing to her purse. "I can't let you leave."

She studied his face, skeptical of his previous words. "You aren't disgusted?"

"We have differences, Selina. I know that and so do you. I'm not going to excuse what you did, but I'm not going to condone it either. You inadvertently saved Gotham from a madman who had been stopping the military from coming to save us all." he said stuffing his hands into his pockets. "To be honest, I'm just thrilled you're alive."

Selina's eyebrows shot up. "Damn. That kiss must have been somethin'."

"Selina," Bruce murmured, stepping closer to her. She had to admit, he had gotten better at flirting.

She smirked and took a step back. She watched his smile vanish.

"Selina," he warned, hand outstretched.

Selina grabbed his outstretched hand and yanked him close to her. "Well then, Bruce," she purred into his ear. "If you want the necklace back, you are going to have to catch me."

Selina could see the fire ignite in Bruce's eyes with the challenge that hung in the air. She skipped into the night, hailing a taxi to take her home. She patted the purse feeling the edges of the diamond necklace through the fabric. She grinned from ear to ear.

"Good night?" the driver asked.

"Oh, yes," she smiled, hearing the echoes of a roaring engine behind them. "I'll tip you really well if you lose the sports car behind us."

The older man checked the rearview mirror. "Yes, mam!"

* * *

 **Again, unbeta'd and done on short notice. Constructive criticism is always welcomed. I need to stop listening to Cardi B because she gives me feels. I'm pissed at nobody right now lmao.**

 **This is the conclusion of my 3 part series! I hope you guys enjoyed it. Pray for me cuz I really need to pass boards.**


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